Atlantis Paradise Island

In 1994, Sol Kerzner purchased a languishing Resorts International from entertainer/entrepreneur Merv Griffin. This once-popular jet-set playground on Paradise Island had seen better days, but from the start Kerzner saw its potential. Struck by the beauty of the location, on a lush tropical island with a pristine two-mile white sand beach, Kerzner vowed to build the most engaging and astounding resort the world had ever seen, a place where dreams would be made real and all who experienced it would fall under its mystical spell — while having a whole lot of fun in the process.

At that time, tourism, the largest sector of The Bahamas’ economy, had been on the decline. Unemployment rates were in the double-digits, and the country’s tourism infrastructure had been steadily eroding for years. But that was all to change quickly as, within eight months, Kerzner had transformed almost the entire island into a tropical paradise.

From 1994 to 1998, Sol Kerzner created the mythical city of Atlantis from the ground up — or, more accurately, from the seabed to the skies. More than $800 million was spent to bring to life the myth and legend of the lost city of Atlantis. The original scope and scale of the project was mind-boggling: the world’s largest open-air marine environment of 11 million gallons, home to 50,000 sea creatures representing 200 species; new lagoons and countless waterfalls; a spectacular Mayan Temple Waterslide complex; six swimming areas and a $15 million Marina — itself an engineering marvel — that would attract the sleek international mega-yacht set.

In 1998, the 1,200-room Royal Towers opened — a major architectural achievement of arches, domes and spires, flanked by soaring towers that appear to have arisen from the sea —and would go on to feature the Caribbean’s largest casino, which contains millions of dollars in art. The most notable of which are Temple of the Moon and Temple of the Sun by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, insured for $1 million apiece.

Following a decade of success, Atlantis, Paradise Island continued its growth as Kerzner International embarked on a third phase of development with its approximately $1 billion expansion in 2007.

And in 2016, Atlantis, Paradise Island announced in conjunction with travAlliancemedia’s Travel Agent Academy its first ever travel agent loyalty and education program, Atlantis Ambassador. The program offers an abundant number of perks and travel opportunities to the resort for travel agents, as well empowering them with knowledge and resources to help close sales.

Atlantis Blue Project Foundation is dedicated to saving sea species and their extraordinary habitats throughout The Bahamas. Together We Can Make a Difference #WorldOceansDay #WorldOceansDayBahamas #BahamasAtHeart